Tag: South Asia

Dubai, UAE – Dubai-based esports organisation Galaxy Racer (GXR) has appointed Rohin Bhaumik, former marketing lead at gaming publisher Garena, to be its new head of creators and talent for South Asia. 

Bhaumik has a strong background in esports and gaming, having worked both as an influencer and in creator management at Intel India and Garena’s BOOYAH!, where he created multiple IP’s around the creators across games such as Free Fire, GTA Online, and Fall Guys. He was also a major stakeholder in the launch of BOOYAH! Esports in 2021. Moreover, Bhaumik has previously worked with leading brands such as PUBG Mobile and OnePlus. 

As part of his new role at GXR, Bhaumik will be focusing on both current and future content creators, scaling them at hyper-growth speed.

GXR believes that Bhaumik can bridge the gap between all stakeholders within the ecosystem, and it anticipates that his knowledge and experience will bring great value to the team.

Commenting on his appointment, Bhaumik said, “I look forward to growing our content creators and providing them with the highest quality content possible that will support their growth.”

Paul Roy, Galaxy Racer’s CEO, shared that with the aggressive expansion of their organization at the hyper-growth stage and particularly their content creators network throughout South Asia, it is key that their creative output is of the highest calibre with an end-to-end support structure.

“Rohin’s wealth of experience will undoubtedly make him an invaluable asset to the Galaxy Racer family. Welcome to our galaxy,” said Roy.

New Delhi, India – Delhi-based boutique social and creative agency, Mixed Route Juice, has launched its new vertical, MRJ Shorts, which will cater to its zippy viewers through its short format munchable content pieces. 

MRJ Shorts are ideal for viewers with a low retainer appetite or who are looking for unique videos that meet their needs and the users will be able to publish their material across a variety of platforms, including social networking sites, and they will be able to promote it through Google advertisements and use it for display campaigns.

The objective to enter the trending short video content segment was motivated by the fact that short-form videos provide more leeway to create hard-hitting, relatable videos that get right to the point without the time commitment of longer-form content. 

Mixed Route Juice said that it is incredibly easy for someone to watch a video more than once if it is only eight seconds long. With so much material to choose from, it’s critical that the videos are optimised to their full potential, striking the ideal mix to reach clients and capture attention. Video marketing can also help a company increase sales, conversions, and brand awareness.

Amrita Sharma, Mixed Route Juice’s co-founder and creative head, shared that their experience with the past few campaigns tells them that video formats give 76% more ROI in terms of leads, visibility, or whatever the metric is.

“Today, 80% of our clients that invested in video content said they would do it again. We decided to build a unique vertical specializing in short format video content creation because of this, as well as the increasing trend of consumers across categories to consume short video content. The team consists of ten experts, and we’re on track to expand in the following quarters,” said Sharma.

Up to date, Mixed Route Juice has partnered with a number of renowned clients and some of the well-known names in its portfolio include, Dhara cooking oils, Safal stores, Jovees Herbal, and Stellar Foods, as well as JW Marriott New Delhi, and DLF, amongst others, Thomson, and with the launch of MRJ shorts, the company is all equipped to work with clients of all sizes and are looking forward to supporting small businesses and startups.

India – Advertising company FCB Group in India has announced its footprint expansion in South Asia with the launch of its new fully integrated marketing communications agency FCB KL.LK.

FCB KL.LK is the newest affiliate office under the FCB Group India umbrella. The agency works with marquee clients and brands including Ceylon Biscuits, HNB credit cards, Fairfirst life Insurance, and Ultratech Cement, as well as Godrej Consumer products. 

The new agency partnership aims to bring forth the KL.LK expertise in brands, coupled with FCB’s Never Finished philosophy – ‘to do timely and timeless work for clients’. 

Rohit Ohri, FCB Group India’s chairman and CEO, commented that they are delighted to partner with KL.LK in Sri Lanka, as it is a young, future-ready agency that is growing very rapidly with many global multi-national clients. 

“With this association, we are hoping to offer seamless service to many of our clients who look at South Asia as a contiguous market,” said Ohri.

Meanwhile, Brandon Cooke, the global partner, global chief marketing, and reputation officer of FCB Global, believes that the creative passion and business momentum made KL.LK the perfect partner for them in the Sri Lankan market. 

“As we continue on our global mission to unleash creativity fuelled by diversity, data and technology, we’re incredibly excited about the opportunities that lie ahead as we expand our footprint across this region to a new client base,” said Cooke. 

Santosh Menon, FCB KL.LK’s chairman and CEO, commented, “I came to Sri Lanka first in 2003 as a team member of FCB for its clients here. Today, bringing FCB back in its latest avatar as part of KL.LK gives me special pleasure and happiness. It’s the wheel turning full circle.”

New Delhi, India – India’s communications agency Adgcraft has won the communications mandate for Primathon, which will be managed and supervised by its Noida office.

Primathon is a Gurgaon-based company that creates scalable software solutions. It also produces customised software solutions for its customers and can also give full-time contracts to its qualified developers.

As part of the mandate, Adgcraft will be in charge of planning, implementing, and managing Primathon’s strategic and creative solutions. It will also be expanding Primathon’s market reach, facilitating market engagement via print and digital media, managing external communication, and establishing media relations. Moreover, Adgcraft will be helping Primathon to reach out to more people and invite them to adopt their software solutions.

Sagar Patidar, Primathon’s founder and director, shared that they require a fresh approach to enhance their brand’s reach amongst their customers today, and they believe that partnering with Adgcraft will help them achieve that. 

“We are happy to have a leading PR and creative agency such as Adgcraft on board with us to help us drive the right communication strategies, backed by their expertise, insightful industry knowledge, and strong media connections,” said Patidar.

Meanwhile, Abhinay Kumar Singh, Adgcraft’s founder and managing director, said, “Software and technology have become a core part of our lives, and we believe in Primathon’s missions and goals, and we are here to craft their communications through that journey. We are looking forward to this association.”

Pakistan – Global snacking company Mondelēz has appointed Sami Wahid, its former strategy lead for the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan (MENAP), as the new managing director for Pakistan.

Wahid brings over 17 years of experience in the fields of marketing, sales, and strategy. He has a long association with Mondelez International, starting back in 2015 where he became part of the organization and have overlooked various responsibilities across many markets. During his most recent role at Mondelez, he has steered and transformed the company through the challenging times of the pandemic.

In his new role, Wahid will be responsible for Mondelēz Pakistan’s overall business strategy and commercial offerings.

Commenting on his appointment, Wahid said that it is an honour to take on the new role, especially at a time when there are growing opportunities and promising business avenues for Pakistan.

He further shared that they have built a strong foundation for the company in the past years which is envisioned to grow even further through tactful and strategic means.

“My aim is to bring the years of knowledge and experience of multi-markets & categories to further accelerate the company’s growth via deepening our connection with consumers and expanding our footprints into evolving channels, as well as focusing on our team development,” said Wahid.

Islamabad, Pakistan – Daraz, the South Asia-centric e-commerce platform, has announced a new brand look for their company, following on the company’s significant progress from 2021.

Daraz, which was formed in 2015, allows SMEs in South Asia to grow their business online, whilst creating an immersive and personalised shopping experience for customers. One of the main drivers to refresh the brand is Daraz’s ambition to make e-commerce a key part of people’s daily lives across its five markets in South Asia – Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Myanmar.

A key change in the new brand revamp is the new icon, which represents a package that is symbolic of how the e-commerce platform physically connects SME sellers to customers. At the center of the icon is an arrow that highlights the focus on progress and fast deliveries, but also resembles a ‘play button’ symbolising how Daraz is continually innovating to create a more dynamic content experience for users.

For Bjarke Mikkelsen, founder and CEO at Daraz Group, the launch marks an exciting step forward for the business, adding that the new brand look still represents the elements that have always been part of their DNA – progress, innovation, exploration, and discovery. 

“At the same time, it signifies a shift to a more personal experience that will allow us to create greater connectivity between buyers and sellers on our platform,” Mikkelsen said.

He added, “We recognise that to achieve this ambition we need to create more personal experiences, ensure that we deliver quality products and services at each step of the customer journey, and create new avenues of entertainment and engagement for our customers. This brand refresh will play a key role in helping us elevate and evolve our offering across these crucial areas.”

As part of the new brand look, Daraz is also consolidating all of its brands under the overall Daraz umbrella-brand to simplify the experience for customers. Daraz has also launched a new website, Daraz.com, that showcases the new brand and gives people a better understanding of who Daraz is and what it stands for.

Maldives – Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), the national tourism office responsible for carrying out promotional activities for the Maldives, has partnered with British mass media firm News UK, to launch a new campaign that aims to drive brand awareness for the country as a holiday destination.

News UK distributes news of all beats via newspapers, websites, and radio broadcasting. It is the current publishers of The Times, The Sunday Times, and The Sun newspapers. The partnership seeks to promote Maldives as a safe haven, prepared to welcome tourists from all over the world. It will focus on promoting the resorts, hotels, guesthouses, and liveaboards, as well as the unique experiences available in the country, and the geography of the scattered islands which provide the ultimate natural social distance for tourists.

Through the partnership, News UK will be releasing articles with the latest information on the Maldives and the most up-to-date travel guidelines across its different news distribution platforms, which would reach the travel trade and potential travellers from the United Kingdom.

According to MMPRC, a total of 1,312,706 tourists arrived in the Maldives in 2021, and the top five markets during this period were India, Russia, Germany, and the UK, as well as the USA. During this period, a total of 62,188 arrived from the UK to the Maldives, about 4.7% of the total arrivals.

“MMPRC has conducted several marketing activities in the UK market during last year. This includes webinars, joint marketing campaigns, media interviews, familiarisation trips, roadshows, and participation in major travel trade fairs and exhibitions. Ongoing activities for this market include joint marketing campaign with British Airways and digital campaigns with tour operators and travel agents,” said MMPRC.

The campaign will be conducted for one month, starting January to February.

Bangalore, India – HiveMinds Innovative Market Solutions, the full-service digital marketing and consultancy firm by Madison World, has recently bagged the digital mandate of insurance firm Max Life Insurance to manage its paid marketing portfolio. 

Max Life Insurance Company is a joint venture between Indian multi-business corporation Max Group’s Max Financial Services and Axis Bank. As part of the mandate, HiveMinds will be responsible for carrying out digital marketing activities across all publishers and platforms for Max Life Insurance including Google, Facebook, and Taboola, as well as Outbrain, amongst others. This will in turn enable new customer acquisition for the insurance firm. The account will be serviced by HiveMinds’ newly opened north branch.

Aditya Satpute, Max Life Insurance’s corporate vice president of e-commerce and digital marketing, shared that today’s consumers are evolved and very digital-savvy, so the success of insurance companies is increasingly dependent upon their ability to innovate and engage with customers on digital platforms. 

“We are pleased to partner with HiveMinds in the next phase of our digital growth, where they will manage the entire paid marketing portfolio for the e-commerce business,” said Satpute.

Meanwhile, Jyothirmayee JT, HiveMinds’ founder and CEO, commented, “We are proud of winning this highly contested mandate. There is a massive transformation happening in the Insurance sector powered by digital expansion. Bringing the right digital integrations and innovation will be key to our success.”

Deepti Bhadauria, HiveMinds’ chief strategy officer, said, “Max Life Insurance is one of those companies that have the vision, the clarity of thought, and the right team to ride the digital wave in the country. We are confident that together we’ll create new benchmarks in digital marketing.”

Most recently, HiveMinds has appointed Saurabh Tyagi, former vice president of Madison World’s media agency Madison Media, to be its new chief client officer, where he will be leading the agency’s enterprise clients.

Mumbai, India — Organic Tattva has awarded its full-funnel digital and performance mandate duties to FoxyMoron, the performance agency and full-service creative under media company Zoo Media Network following a multi-agency pitch. 

The agency’s duties include handling the brands’ strategic content and design across all social media platforms and performance marketing. The responsibility is given to FoxyMoron’s Gurgaon office.

India-based Organic Tattva offers a portfolio that includes certified organic food options, non-use of chemicals and pesticides, while also ensuring sustainable farming practices. 

Prachi Bali, national head partnerships and business head of FoxyMoron for North, shared her thoughts on the new responsibility for the agency.

“The organic food and beverages category, while increasing in demand, has been riddled with unclear messaging and perception challenges. With Organic Tattva, we aim to create communication that will truly build brand trust and also a community of people who enjoy consuming organic food,’’ Bali said.

Meanwhile, Kriti Mehrotra, marketing director at Organic Tattva, commented on the partnership, saying that the company is excited to collaborate with FoxyMoron for its digital marketing and media mandate. 

“Organic Tattva and FoxyMoron will work on delivering influential campaigns and raising awareness about the organic farm to fork process and our company’s commitment to integrity, authenticity, and quality,” Mehrotra said.

This January, FoxyMoron also won the full-funnel performance digital duties of Henkel Beauty Care’s Beauty Brand Schwarzkopf Professional.

New Delhi, India – Social media influencer marketing company in India, Mad Influence, has offered its newly opened platform Mad Studio to twin sister duo Surabhi and Samriddhi, who are popularly known as Chinki and Minki, for their new entertainment show ‘Twinterview’.

The newly opened studio provides a dance studio, VFX studio, photoshoots, and a variety of other first-rate facilities needed to generate content that will capture the attention of influencers from the represented brand’s intended audience.

‘Twinterview’ presents a diverse range of renowned TV and OTT celebrities providing amusing responses to some hot questions. Each episode is organized into three sections, namely promotion, confession, and confusion. The first portion will be soothing which would relax the superstars, while the second portion focuses on diving into the deep and personal lives of the famous visitors, and lastly, the third game includes the hosts asking visitors perplexing questions about themselves.

The sisters commented, “It is time to say goodbye to the quintessential celebrity interviews. This is not a regular interview – this is a ‘Twinterview’.” 

Gautam Madhavan, Mad Influence’s founder and CEO, said, “Mad Influence is all about new opportunities and providing a platform for every form, and with this, we have not only extended our family but also shown everyone what Mad believes in. We wish the twins very good luck for their future episodes.”

The show’s first episode featuring Indian comedian Bhuvan Bam has already aired on the duo’s YouTube channel last 12 January at 2:00 pm IST.